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The males are short-lived, as they do not feed at all as adults and only live to fertilize the females. Male citrus mealy bugs fly to the females and resemble fluffy gnats. Some species of mealybug lay their eggs in the same waxy layer used for protection in quantities of 50–100; other species are born directly from the female.
Both female and male adult hibiscus mealybugs are about one-eighth inch (3 mm) long. Female bodies are pink in color with a white waxy covering. They are wingless and appear as ovoid shapes covered by a mass of white mealy wax. Males have a pair of wings and two long waxy tails and are capable of flight.
Planococcus ficus, commonly known as the vine mealybug, is a species of mealybug, belonging to the family Pseudococcidae, native to tropical and subtropical regions. [1] The vine mealybug is found in Europe, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East.
Mealybugs will move the tip of its rostrum onto the surface of the plant leaf or steam in order to feed. The stylet is then moved into the phloem, where nutrients are transported within the plant. Mealybugs will then suck the plants sap and excrete the excess sugary liquid through their short anal tube (Martin, 2019).
Adult female Comstock mealybugs are 3 to 5 mm (0.12 to 0.20 in) long, have no wings, and have "17 pairs of filaments" that extend from the edge of its body with a longer pair at the rear. The adult males are minuscule, similar to the size of gnats, and have a short life span.
The papaya mealybug feeds on over 55 plants in more than 25 genera. Economically important host plants include papaya, avocado, citrus, mango, cherry and pomegranate, as well as hibiscus, cotton, tomato, eggplant, peppers, beans, peas and sweet potato. [2]
P. viburni is a pest of vineyards in New Zealand, [1] the Central Coast of California, [2] and the tea gardens of northern Iran. [3] Unlike the grape mealybug, the obscure mealybug is not native to California, having most likely been introduced to the region from either Australia or South America in the latter part of the 19th century. [4]
The adult female cotton mealybug lays several hundred eggs in an ovisac. On hatching, the nymphs crawl away, dispersing to other parts of the plant. In dry conditions, they move to the roots and the lower leaves and stems, however in wetter conditions they prefer the upper parts of the plant.